Ubuntu in 3D Stereo - You need (DIY) stereo glasses!

"Woooow - this is awesome!" You'll need 3D glasses to get the effect...This video shows a 3D Stereo Ubuntu (compiz enabled)! To watch the HD Version visit the link below the vid

A series of screenshots showing the effect:

During the last few weeks I was recapitulating my prior projects concering Human Computer Interfaces...All of them, namely T.I.R.E.X & the Pad, dealt with three dimensional display characteristics. But why? Since "3D" is obviously a part of our "real life" some applications like CAD programms or the simulation of e.g. car crashes or robots are "naturally" implemented in 3D space.

If you've ever looked at a CAD prog. or an OpenGL simulation the physics are great, the lightning is great, you can rotate, transform and project things. BUT - the display is still 2D in the end. Sure - all the stuff desribed above helps you to get the impression of a "real" 3D model but you still ned a tiny little bit of imagination. I would like to increase this little "bit" and present you an easy way to implement and use the power of OpenGL and anaglyphic stereoscopy.

What is anaglyph?

Anaglyph images are used to provide a stereoscopic 3D effect, when viewed with 2 color glasses (each lens a chromatically opposite color, usually red and cyan). Images are made up of two color layers, superimposed, but offset with respect to each other to produce a depth effect. Usually the main subject is in the center, while the foreground and background are shifted laterally in opposite directions. The picture contains two differently filtered colored images, one for each eye. When viewed through the "color coded" "anaglyph glasses", they reveal an integrated stereoscopic image. The visual cortex of the brain fuses this into perception of a three dimensional scene or composition.

Anaglyph images have seen a recent resurgence due to the presentation of images and video on the internet, Blu-ray HD disks, CDs, and even in print. Low cost paper frames or plastic-framed glasses hold accurate color filters, that typically, after 2002 make use of all 3 primary colors. The current norm is red for one channel (usually the left) and a combination of both blue and green in the other filter. That equal combination is called cyan in technical circles, or blue-green. The cheaper filter material used in the monochromatic past, dictated red and blue for convenience and cost. There is a material improvement of full color images, with the cyan filter, especially for accurate skin tones.

Video games, theatrical films, and DVDs can be shown in the anaglyph 3D process. Practical images, for science or design, where depth perception is useful, include the presentation of full scale and microscopic stereographic images. Examples from NASA include Mars Rover imaging, and the solar investigation, called STEREO, which uses two orbital vehicles to obtain the 3D images of the sun. Other applications include geological illustrations by the USGS, and various online museum objects. A recent application is for stereo imaging of the heart using costly 3D ultra-sound with plastic red/cyan glasses.

Anaglyph images are much easier to view than either parallel (diverging) or crossed-view pairs stereograms. However, these side-by-side types offer bright and accurate color rendering, not easily achieved with anaglyphs. Recently, cross-view prismatic glasses with adjustable masking have appeared, that offer a wider image on the new HD video and computer monitors.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaglyph_image]

You see, this is an easy way to archieve a realistic 3D impression. I admit - there are for sure "better" ways to simulate 3D e.g. with shutter glasses but I bet you don't tinker those glasses by yourself...

To get to the Point - modern OSs make use of the 3D power of the latest graphic cards - like Ubuntu does. With Compiz-fusion which is part of the latest distribution (8.10 Intrepid Ibex) it is possible to have an OpenGL accerlated X Window System. You may have a look at the compiz project and its various capabilities [http://www.compiz-fusion.org/]. So if your desktop is 3D accerlated, implemented in OpenGL - why don't we make use of an anaglyphic image? For now at least Patryk Kowalczyk [http://wodor.org] and me (and several others i guess ^^) do.

But how to realize that? At first I though of implement it by myself which is on my opinion not that hard (have a look at the OpenGL API) [http://opengl.org/]. Than I asked google which led me to Patryks website. He implemented a anaglyph compiz fusion plugin. Great job btw. All YOU have to do is the following:

1) make sure you have git installed: apt-get install git-core
2) make sure you have build dependancies for compiz and plugins: apt-get build-dep compiz
3) make sure you have settings manager (ccsm) apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager
3.5) make sure you have dev packages: apt-get compiz-dev libcompizconfig0-dev compiz-bcop
4) in terminal go to some empty directory (eg. ~/compizPlugins).
5)execute git clone git://anongit.compiz-fusion.org/users/wodor/anaglyph
6)make
7)make install
8)logout and relogin
9)Open ccsm and activate anaglyph

You just need some glasses now! Go to an arts and crafts supply store and buy some cheeps glasses and some foil. You may change the green foil with cyan colored. My version looks like that:

Foil:

DIY glasses:

I hope this helps. Cheers!